


Letters From The Heart

by DigitalThespian



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: Epistolary, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Pining, Polyamory, Reunions, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-05-13 03:17:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19242721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DigitalThespian/pseuds/DigitalThespian
Summary: Moomin finds some old unsent letters that his Pappa wrote.He knows that if one does nothing, they should expect nothing.He also knows his Pappa deserves more than 'nothing'.





	Letters From The Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this certainly is a thing that I didn't expect. This was supposed to be a ~2000 word Moominpappa/Joxter fic, and now it's.. this. I like what happened though, and I hope you do too!  
> If you like this, but you need that Angst™, check out It Could've Been Me by QueenRita!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/19203910/chapters/45653494

Moomin knocked gently on the door to his father's study, then gently opened the door. "Pappa, I found this old envelope full of letters, and they're all addressed to 'The Joxter'. Is that the same Joxter from your stories?" Moomin held a large, yellowed envelope out to Moominpappa, who took it with a sad smile.

"Yes, it is." He opened it gingerly—for it was quite old—and looked over the unsent letters. "I wrote these years ago, but I never gave them to him. To this day, it's one of my greatest regrets." He closed the envelope again and held it out to Moomin. "Would you like to read through them? I only ask that you save the questions for another day; I don't think I'm prepared for that. I would need something to drink for that, I'd say."

Moomin took the old, yellowed envelope almost reverently; he still didn't quite understand why he needed to wait to ask questions, but he knew that he adored his Pappa, and so he nodded his assent. He would find out when Moominpappa was ready to tell him. "I'd love to read them. Thanks Pappa! I promise I'll wait to ask you any questions." Moomin turned to go, but stopped as Moominpappa spoke up again.

"Reading those might ruin your good mood, I'll warn you." Moominpappa was uncharacteristically somber, which was confusing to Moomin. Weren't he and The Joxter old friends?

Moomin smiled. "I'll be alright!" He turned and walked out of the room, excited to see what the letters had in store. He located a suitable armchair and settled into it, gently thumbing through the letters to find the earliest one. He opened the envelope that held the first letter—and wasn't that a silly thought, opening an envelope only to have to open a second!—and pulled it out, unfolding it carefully. The first thing Moomin noticed was his handwriting; it seemed it had improved drastically as he wrote his memoirs, as the letter was penned in a messy scrawl, albeit still a legible one.

He began to read.

_Dear Joxter,_

_It's been a long time since we met, hasn't it? Months and months, but still there's something I have to admit that I've been keeping from you, Joxter. I know I always say that Moominmaiden is the most beautiful girl in the world, but to tell the truth, I have eyes for another as well._

Moomin furrowed his brow. His Pappa had loved someone other than Mamma? Did Mamma know about this?

_When I met you, you had just broken into my house and fallen out a window, and yet, all I could think was what a dashing young man you were. You were confident, and sure, and quick, and I was smitten with you immediately._

Moomin let out an audible gasp. Pappa and _The Joxter_?!

_I know you likely have no interest in settling down, or even forming an attachment of that kind, so here I sit, writing this letter so that maybe someday you'll know how I feel. Even as I'm writing this I can see you talking with The Muddler about some harebrained scheme that I know I'll have to bail you out of._

_And yet, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, except possibly back in Moominvalley with Moominmaiden, but only if you could be there too. Maybe I'm foolish, to hope I could somehow be lucky enough to court you both. Maybe I'm foolish for thinking I could court you at all. But if I am to be a fool, then by golly I'll be the best court jester the world has ever seen._

_Yours, now and always,_

_Moomin_

 

* * *

 

Moominmamma stood in the doorway to the sitting room with an amused look on her face. Her son was intently reading something, and was engrossed to the point that he hadn't responded when she had called for him earlier. She knocked on the open door gently to announce her presence, and she chuckled silently as Moomin jumped in surprise. "There you are; what have you got there?"

"Letters, Pappa said he never sent them." Moomin opened his mouth to continue, but cut himself off when Moominmamma let out a sad sigh.

"Oh, those are all those unsent letters to The Joxter, aren't they?" She padded over and leaned gently against the side of the chair. "He loves that Mumrik. I don't think a day goes by where it doesn't eat at him." She plucked a letter at random from its envelope, gazing sadly at the page. If only things had been different, she did hate to see her love suffer so. "I just wish the Joxter would visit at least once so Moominpappa could get some sort of closure."

She paused for a moment, her mind suddenly filled with images of her husband fawning over a scruffy Joxter with a roguish smile. The sort of man that was rough around the edges, but was only made all the more handsome for it. She giggled as the Moominpappa in her head held a hand to his heart, gesturing passionately as he attempted to win the heart of this handsome fellow. "Well, that and I'd love to better get to know the Mumrik who captivated my husband so. I only met him once, you see, the rest I heard from your father." Moomin stared up at her, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"It's okay that Pappa loves him _and_ you?" Moominmamma looked down at her son, who held a fearful sort of hopefulness in his eyes, the kind one gets when they dearly want something to be true, and are afraid of what it means if it isn't. "People can do that?"

"Oh, of course, dear. Everyone knows Moomins have more than enough love for whomever they may wish to give it to. It's very important to talk about things though, if the ones you love aren't happy sharing you, then it's simply not to be." Moomin's eyes began to well up with tears, and Moominmamma knelt down to sweep him into a hug. Suddenly, the pieces all fell into place. "Oh, Moomin, dear.. It's Snufkin and Snorkmaiden, isn't it?"

"I-I'm just so _scared_ Mamma!" Moomin wailed, "I love them both so much, and everyone knows Snorkmaiden and I are together, and they expect us to get married which is _really_ quite a lot of pressure," His voice hitched as he took a shuddering breath. "But if I don't tell Snuf that I love him, then he might leave one day and never come back! I don't want to hurt anyone, but everyone thinks I've already chosen, which means I have to put my foot down if I don't like their decision, but I'd have to do it to _Snorkmaiden_ , and I can't bear the idea of hurting her like that, but I also can't bear the idea of losing Snufkin!" Moomin burst into tears, his emotions spilling over after his frantic explanation.

Moominmamma held her son close, rubbing gentle circles into his back as he sobbed gently into her shoulder. "Sometimes things don't go the way we want them to, but that's no reason not to try. I think you're very brave for facing your feelings and trying to do something about it."

"Oh, but _Pappa_! Is this how he feels _every day_?" Moomin pulled away suddenly, his distress turning to a quiet horror.

She gave Moomin another sad smile, her heart filled with pride in her son's empathy even as it ached at the burden her husband had to bear. "Not anymore, I wouldn't think, but he used to. Not _every_ day, some days are better than others. Some days it feels like things might be okay after all, and some days you just feel like giving up and going back to bed. There used to be days where Pappa _would_ just go back to bed."

"Oh dear.." Moomin looked up suddenly, surprising Moominmamma with his sudden determination. "Well, then we'll just have to do something about it! Snufkin can talk to birds, can't he? We'll just have to find this Joxter and invite him to the first annual fall festival!"

"You want to start a new annual festival just to convince The Joxter to visit the valley?" Moominmamma raised an eyebrow. That was a bit extreme, though she supposed his heart was in the right place.

"Well if it wasn't the festival's first year he might wonder 'If they were able to send an invitation, why wasn't he invited until this year?' and if he's a Mumrik that's _anything_ like Snufkin, he may be very cross about that." Moominmamma snorted at that. She never could figure out how or why Moomin went so quickly from empathetic to shrewd and back again. "But if it's the first, then he'll feel special that we went to the trouble of sending him the invitation!" Moomin smiled, obviously very proud of himself.

"That's.." Moominmamma stopped to think for a moment. He was right, at least from what _she_ knew of The Joxter.. Perhaps she should append 'cunning' to her earlier list. "That's actually very true. The Joxter always _was_ a particular sort according to your father; much the same as Snufkin, as you said. While I still think you may be biting off more than you can chew, I have to admit that it would almost certainly work should you go through with it. No matter what you decide, I'll support you as best I can."

"Thanks, Mamma." Moomin smiled warmly, then stood up. Moominmamma stood with him and kissed him on the forehead before he went running off to enact his plan- for it was certain that he would, her son always was one to go the extra mile for those he loved. Moomin giggled, then nodded as if deciding something. "I'm going to go talk to Sniff, I think. I'm sure I can convince him that this would be a good moneymaking opportunity, and once I do he'll be behind me all the way."

Moomin grinned. "Plus, you know how Sniff gets; as long as it's not dangerous, once he gets an idea in his head it's all he can think about. I'll just turn him loose at anyone who needs convincing and wait; I have plenty of time, and eventually they'll agree just to get him to go away." He turned and walked out of the room with a smile and a wave, and Moominmamma blinked.

When did her son become such a _schemer_? It was Snufkin, she was almost sure of it, but it could also have been Little My..

Either way, she had never been more proud.

She looked back down at the letters resting in their envelopes, then circled around the chair to sit down herself. She picked up the second letter, unfolding it gently.

_Dear Joxter,_

_I wish I had known it was my last chance to talk to you in person; maybe I would have found the courage to give you that letter. As it stands now, our adventure is done, I'm back in Moominvalley with a beautiful house, and a beautiful fiancée, and a pit in my stomach that won't be filled no matter how much I try. How could it, when I know I might never see you again?_

_I miss you, Joxter. Maybe I'll find you someday, and can muster the courage to give you these letters and let the chips fall where they may, but until then.._

_I'll be here, in Moominvalley, waiting for you to come visit. The house we built here is much like the old one, but of course it's better, since I know much better what to do about building a house the second time rather than the first. We have plenty of bedrooms for company, and a lovely veranda, and a good room for dinners with as many friends as we please._

_I built a bridge over the river, too. I know how much you hate getting wet, and I imagine you're not the only one. It also keeps any smaller folks from getting swept away._

There was a section of crossed out sentences, and Moominmamma felt another pang in her heart.

_~~Perhaps one day you could call one of the rooms your own~~ _

_~~I made sure there was a place you could stay if~~ _

_~~I wish you were here.~~ _

_I'm going to stop writing now, my thoughts are just going in circles. I may as well just start a new letter next time. I have a feeling it may be a few before you ever see them._

Moominmamma looked at the small pile of letters and nodded sadly.

_Yours, now and forever,_

_Moomin_

 

* * *

 

_Dear Joxter,_

_I'm quite nervous, as I've never been married before, so I've haven't got a clue as to what to expect. I wish you could be here to see it, Joxter. I would dearly like you to be my best man, though I suppose that could turn out a bit odd, considering I would also dearly like **you** to be at the altar._

_I think this might be the first time I've ever admitted that to anyone, even myself._

_I must go, I haven't much time today._

_Love,_

_Moomin_

Moomin set the third letter down, having read the second just before it. Preparations for the festival were underway; with Sniff on his side he was a force to be reckoned with, and he quickly gained the support of everyone he needed in the valley. All that was left was to send out invitations, which needed to be done as soon as possible so as to reach The Joxter in time for him to make his way to Moominvalley.

Which led him to his next problem.. He had to ask Snufkin for help with the birds, but he needed to talk to Snorkmaiden first. He was going to tell Snufkin how he felt, and he needed to settle matters with her first. Oh how he hoped they would be amicable to it, he did care for them both so..

He stacked the letters neatly on the kitchen table, and left the room, out to search for Snorkmaiden. He ambled through the valley to The Snork's house, enjoying the sights and sounds along the way to distract himself from his emotional turmoil. Finally he arrived, and knocked lightly on the door. The Snork poked his head out, then laughed when he saw Moomin. "Well, if it isn't the valley's go-getter himself! Come in, come in!"

"I'm actually here to ask Snorkmaiden to come see something, is she home?" Moomin leaned to the side to peek around The Snork.

"Nope! But I'll go with you anyway, Moomin." Moomin jumped in surprise and a small squeak escaped before he could clamp down on it. He whirled around, and standing before him was none other than Snorkmaiden, giggling behind her paw. Her fur had turned a pale pink color, as Snorks tend to do when pleased about something. Moomin found it wonderful and fascinating. "Sorry for startling you, the opportunity was just too good to pass up." She rocked back and forth on her heels, an excited grin on her face. "What are we going to go see?"

Moomin waved his farewells to The Snork, who waved back and closed the door. "It's a letter my Pappa wrote; a few, actually. He said it was okay to show them to you, and I think it would make things easier to explain if I just let you read them."

She tilted her head, then shrugged, slipping a paw into Moomin's. "Alright, I guess I'll bite! Lead the way, dear." They walked along for a while in silence, then Snorkmaiden piped up again. "So why are you organizing a festival?"

"The letters have to do with that, though there's more to it than _just_ that." Moomin squeezed her paw gently. "You'll see, I promise."

"Well now I'm definitely interested!" Snorkmaiden laughed, and Moomin smiled as he watched the joy on her face. He opened the door to allow them into Moominhouse, allowing Snorkmaiden to go first. He gestured for Snorkmaiden to sit at the table; the stack of letters sat neatly exactly where he had left them. She picked up the first letter as she sat down, then looked to Moomin once again as if to be sure it was alright to read someone's mail like this. Moomin nodded, and she began to read.

After a little while Moomin grew nervous, as she didn't seem to react to the contents of the letter; but then he noticed her turning a light blue, and he knew she felt the same as he did about all this. She set the letter down, and picked up the next, then the next, her color shifting to be bluer and bluer all the while. After the third, she turned to Moomin with tears in her eyes, her fur having turned a dark blue. "Oh, Moomin, we simply _must_ do something about all this!"

"I'm going to ask Snufkin to talk to the birds; it's the only way to find The Joxter to invite him to the new festival." Moomin nodded determinedly.

"But you said there was more to it than just the festival, didn't you?" Moomin nodded, and Snorkmaiden turned to face him completely. "Is this about you being in love with Snufkin?"

Moomin was stunned. "W-was I that obvious?" He hid his face in his paws, face burning.

Snorkmaiden giggled, slowly returning to her usual tan coloration. "Maybe not to other people, but you look at him the same way you look at me when you think no one else is watching. So either you love Snufkin, or I've been misinterpreting our relationship."

"No! I do love you, and I.. I do love Snufkin, too." Moomin looked down, feeling guilty, but lifted his head when he felt Snorkmaiden wrap her arms around him. "Snorkmaiden?"

"Moomin, dear, go tell him how you feel. We're starting a new festival tradition just to get The Joxter back to Moominvalley so Moominpappa can confess; a _third_ yearly festival is too many." Moomin laughed, holding Snorkmaiden tightly.

"I don't know why I was ever worried; I know you better than that. Thanks, Snorkmaiden. I need to talk to Snufkin about the birds now anyway, so I'm off!" He gave her a quick Moomin kiss, and then dashed out of the room.

She watched him go with a fond smile—what a goofy, lovable creature he was—then sat back down and picked up the next letter. Moomin _had_ said she had permission to read them..

_Dear Joxter,_

_I'm married now, and while I dearly miss you, I'm happier than I've ever been, even before I lost you. Now if only you could be here with me, everything would be perfect. I hope you find love like this someday, even if it isn't with me._

_I've decided to record our adventures in a book, The Exploits of Moomin. That way everyone will know all the grand experiences we had. Perhaps you could read it someday, or better still, you could help me write it, or at least revise it._

_I've got to go, dinner will be finished soon. Sorry for the short letter, old friend, but I seem to have spent more time staring at the page than writing. I even made sure to have a lot of time to write this time. Alas. I hope this finds you well. Isn't that a silly thing to write though, knowing you won't see this until long after I wrote it? Oh well. Until next time, I suppose._

_Love,_

_Moomin_

Snorkmaiden laughed. _The Exploits of Moomin_ , huh? That was a very different title than _Moominpappa's Memoirs_. She sat for a while, contemplating. Was she alright with sharing Moomin with Snufkin? She thought about the idea of sitting at a party, seeing him bump his nose against Moomin's snout.. Well, it was a little unsettling, but imagining Moomin kissing her afterwards washed that away. She knew Moomin loved her, his love for Snufkin didn't change that. And if Snufkin were to offer _her_ a kiss, well..

Snorkmaiden stopped suddenly. Where had _that_ thought come from? Her fur began to tinge pink, and she tried to write it off as a passing thought. She had never wanted to kiss Snufkin before—the pink grew slightly brighter as she thought of the idea again—so why would it come up now? She supposed that Snufkin _was_ rather dashing, much in the same way Moomin was, and they _did_ share a love of adventure..

Oh, she had a type, didn't she?

She considered this for a moment more, and decided she would take things one step at a time. Moomin was already going to talk to him; Snufkin would need time to process that. There would be all the time in the world to..

What if _Snufkin_ wasn't alright with sharing Moomin? Would Moomin have to choose between them? What would she do if Moomin didn't choose _her_?

She shook her head. There was no sense in getting worked up now. Things would happen as they would happen, and she can pick up the pieces if need be. She had survived the end of the world, after all; she knew she was capable enough to handle anything that came her way. She stood, re-stacking the letters before she went. It was time to do her part, she wasn't going to let Moomin try to do this alone. Her brother was the best planner out there; if anyone could figure out the best way for the birds to cover the most ground, it would be him.

She just needed to figure out how to ask without stroking his ego too much.

 

* * *

 

Moominpappa sat heavily at the table, smiling wryly as the chair creaked in protest. It seemed that he and the chair were both getting old now, weren't they? He looked down at the letters, thinking back to all those years ago when he had been young, and wild, and far too foolish. He could tell which letters Moomin had read, since the one he hadn't still laid pressed nearly perfectly flat, having been left in the bottom of a drawer for years now. He picked up the last unopened letter and pulled it out, opening it and tracing his finger over the words on the page.

"It's been a while, old friend.." He hardly needed to, as he had long since memorized the contents of these letters, but he found himself starting at the beginning to read it once more. Perhaps he found the familiarity comforting.

Or perhaps he simply wanted to suffer, a twisted sort of penance to.. what? Himself? He shook his head quickly; he had no desire to go down that path today.

_Dear Joxter,_

_I am pleased to inform you that I am no longer Moomin, I am now Moominpappa. I do hope my son gets to meet you someday. I had hoped you would be there when I heard that The Mymble had set up on the outskirts of the valley, but she told me she hadn't seen you in years either, since that day, actually. She misses you too, Joxter._

_Moominmamma is a sweet as ever, maybe more so. We set up a bedroom on the top floor for our son. He loves sitting in my old hat. Yes, I'm still wearing it, you old grouch, you can't stop me. Just like I know you'll never stop wearing that ratty old red hat you love so much._

_I have to go, my son is crying and Moominmamma deserves a break. Till next time._

_Love,_

_Moominpappa_

"Where could you be, old friend..? When will I see you again?" Moominpappa looked down at the letters, a weight settling on his chest.

Perhaps he should write another, for old times' sake.

 

* * *

 

Moomin nodded as the festival ground was set up. Folks from all over the valley had come together to erect poles for banners and strings of fairy lights, or to construct a stage for the band—with an attached floor for some of the more energetic dancing. He remembered four years ago when they hadn't had one at the midsummer festival; he would prefer to avoid having even one twisted ankle, let alone six. Everything was coming along nicely, and he had fallen into a sort of de-facto leadership role. Snorkmaiden and Sniff were his helpers, his go-getters, and The Snork was his main advisor.

He wasn't quite sure how he'd ended up in this position, but he couldn't deny the results. Snufkin had passed on the invitation and the instructions from The Snork on how to deliver it as many places as possible with the time remaining before the festival; but that still left the daunting task of festival logistics. The plan was to be prepared for all of Moominvalley to attend, and maybe more, which meant a great many things needed to be in order, such as making sure three families didn't all bring the same dish, like the midsummer festival from two years ago. Or making sure there was enough to drink, and making sure there was music, and..

Oh, there was just so much to think about! Moomin was pulled from his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. "Moomin, Snufkin's come looking for you, I think. Let me take care of this, you go take a break."

He sagged, relief evident in his voice. "Thanks, Snorkmaiden." He kissed her gently, then turned to look for Snufkin. He spotted him lurking near the edge of the festival ground; he never did like crowds. He walked over to where he saw Snufkin waiting. "Hey, Snuf," He took Snufkin's paws as he approached, then pressed their noses together, smiling at Snufkin's blush. "I heard you were looking for me."

"The Joxter would like us all to know that he is very pleased with the invitation, and that if he does not arrive, it is best to assume he is dead, for nothing less could stop him from attending." Snufkin grinned. "You did it, Moomin. It worked."

There was a thump, and Moomin and Snufkin both found their attention drawn to Moominpappa, much to their surprise. He was standing over a burlap sack with his paw outstretched, motionless in the air as if he were still holding it, a few scattered apples littering the ground in front of him. "Did.. did you just say The _Joxter_? How did you _find_ him to invite him?"

"I asked Snufkin to ask the birds." Moomin smiled at Snufkin, and looked back to his Pappa. "I was going to tell you once we found out for sure he was coming, I didn't want to get your hopes up for nothing. But I guess you heard it first, same as me!"

"You organized this whole festival just to get The Joxter to come visit Moominvalley..?" Moominpappa's eyes were wide.

"Is.. is that not okay?" Moomin looked down, kicking at the ground softly.

Moominpappa took a few quick steps and pulled his son into a hug. "I'm proud of you, Moomin. And even if things don't go as I would hope for The Joxter and I, I'm still thankful for how much effort you've put into making me happy." He stepped back, then looked at Snufkin. "He's a real keeper, you know."

Snufkin began to laugh as Moomin groaned, his head falling back. "Pappaaa! Don't embarrass me!"

"Don't worry, I know he is." Snufkin smiled at Moomin, who hid his face in his paws.

"Oh, not you too!" Moomin pressed the back of a paw to his forehead, the other clutching his heart melodramatically. "Betrayed! I'm going to find Snorkmaiden, I'm sure _she_ won't terrorize me like this,"

Snufkin just laughed, giving Moomin a quick kiss as he headed back off to his campsite. Moominpappa smiled as they watched Snufkin go. "He's a real keeper, too, Moomin. I'm happy to see you find people who genuinely care about you."

Moomin smiled. "He is." A voice called out his name, and he turned towards the source with a tired sigh. "Well, it seems I'm needed once again. I'll see you at dinner, Pappa!" He drew himself up to his full height to collect himself, then dashed off, leaving Moominpappa behind to pick up the apples he had dropped. Fortunately they weren't too bruised, Moominmamma would be rather miffed if he had ruined them. With the scattered fruit tucked safely back in the bag, he finished his trip to the apples' final destination: A large oaken bucket; because what festival would be complete without bobbing for apples, Moomin had said.

His son really had thought of everything, hadn't he?

His task completed, he slowly walked over and sat under a tree. He was sure to choose one in a spot where he could see the scattered crew that had come to Moomin's aid; nothing could keep a father's spirits up better than watching their son thrive.

He pulled out a writing set he carried with him, and after a moment of pondering, put pen to paper.

_Dear Joxter,_

_I can hardly believe I'll be seeing you in a scant few weeks. It's an eternity and no time at all, I feel like I would need years to prepare myself, but I can't wait to see you. My son read these letters, you see, and he organized this new fall festival with the express purpose of inviting you so that I might see you again. I have never been a prouder father. He went to all this trouble, just for his old man. They say there comes a day when every father instinctively knows that his son is grown, and I think today is that day. He's done so much, and he's conquered fears that I never overcame._

_He has a sweetheart of his own, Snorkmaiden; but he, too, has a Mumrik he has an eye for. Unlike me, however, he told his Mumrik about his feelings, and the three of them are happier than ever. (I think his two companions might be harboring feelings for one another as well, but I'm still not sure about that part. I'll just have to wait and see.)_

_He saw what happened to me through these letters, and decided he would rather face the heartbreak head on, which is so brave and wise, and I'm finding myself wondering what happened to my baby boy who only worried about whether he could stay up late, or if he was able to find any mushrooms in the forest._

_Now he's planning a festival for the entire valley, and sending an invitation via bird messenger to all corners of the world to find my long-lost friend. He's done more than some do in their entire life, and I suspect he may retain his newfound leadership after this is said and done; this is the most efficiently set up event I've ever seen here in the valley, and I'm willing to wager that folks will want it to go this smoothly again._

_When they do, they'll go find my Moomin._

_Listen to me, prattling on about my son. I seem to have a tradition of keeping these short, and besides, I'll be able to talk to you myself soon enough, so I'll end this letter here._

Moominpappa hesitated for a moment, before continuing.

_Love,_

_Moominpappa_

 

* * *

 

The day of the festival had arrived, and Moominpappa was in quite a state. He had decided that trying to tell The Joxter his feelings on such short notice was impossible, but he was determined to get it right. So he had written one last letter, which he had safely tucked away in his hat. He had needed to forgo the envelope and fold the paper in half again after the tri-fold, so it wasn't _quite_ as neat as he was hoping for, but he deemed it acceptable enough.

He was wandering the grounds, watching the entirety of the valley come together to celebrate. They sang, and danced, and generally had a grand old time, and he felt his heart fill with pride in what his son had accomplished. Even if things didn't turn out the way he wanted with his old friend, his son had organized a new yearly festival, and in doing so had left an indelible mark on Moominvalley. How many fathers could say that?

He took a long drink from his cup of mulled wine, and Moominmamma smiled at him from where she was entertaining one of The Mymble's many children. He liked The Mymble well enough, but that was entirely too many children for his tastes. One was enough for him, though if Moominmamma had wanted two, or even three, he may have allowed himself to be persuaded.

He nodded sagely to himself. It's important to weigh one's desires against their partner's in such situations. If she had dearly wanted two children, he would have agreed, for he didn't feel _that_ strongly about the matter. But if it were five children? He would have to say no, for he felt that _really_ was just too many. Love is about working together and doing your best to work out something that is best for both of you; not necessarily what either of you wanted, but close enough without getting too close to what the other _didn't_ want.

He heard a voice from behind him. "Your son looks like a perfect balance between you and Moominmaiden. I suppose it's Moominmamma, now, and you're Moominpappa. That may take some getting used to."

Moominpappa whirled around, but in his haste he tripped over his own feet, losing his grip on his cup in the process. Moominpappa and the cup both seemed to hang in the air for a moment, almost as if to make sure everyone had only _just_ enough time to realize what was about to happen; the next moment found Moominpappa lying on his back on the ground with the cup resting comically on his chest..

..and his fur full of mulled wine, which had spilled in a rather spectacular fashion. He sighed, and he smiled to himself as none other than The Joxter stood above him, howling with laughter. "Oh, some things never change, eh Moominpappa?"

Moominpappa grinned, and The Joxter didn't catch the mischief hiding within. "They certainly don't!" He held out a paw to The Joxter, but instead of pulling himself up, he pulled The Joxter down with him, depositing him neatly in the epicenter of the mess. The Joxter's fall was broken by Moominpappa himself, as he _was_ the epicenter; but that was the sort of price one pays with a gambit like that. He found himself cackling with a lack of restraint he hadn't realized he'd been missing; but more importantly, the mulled wine that was spilled was now all over the both of them. "Turnabout is fair play, you scoundrel!"

The Joxter's laughter continued unabated; he knew that Moominpappa had won this exchange, just as he knew he would have a chance for his revenge. He shook a fist in the air. "Argh! You fiend! You have soiled my outfit!" The two of them locked eyes for a brief moment, attempting to maintain their serious facades, then looked down at The Joxter's ratty, worn attire, and their laughter began anew. "It's good to see you, Moomin. Oh, Moominpappa." He extricated himself from the tangle of limbs they had found themselves in, to Moominpappa's slight disappointment, and held out a paw to Moominpappa once again.

Moominpappa took it—and The Joxter had widened his stance, ready for another attempt at sabotage—pulling himself up. "You can call me Moomin as long as I'm not with my son; if he is around it would just be confusing." He reluctantly let go of The Joxter's paw. "We should go to Moominhouse and we can both get cleaned up."

"While I'm happy to accompany you, you are a fool if you think you can get me to willingly enter water that easily." The Joxter grinned and Moominpappa laughed heartily. "Lead the way, Moomin."

"Gladly. I've missed you, Joxter." Moominpappa's nerves had returned with a vengeance, and he wondered if he should give The Joxter the letter before he went to wash up, but he also knew he would have to face him immediately afterwards if he did. They spent the rest of the walk in companionable silence, though Moominpappa felt his worrying must surely be palpable for how strongly he felt it. Not for the first time, he was glad he wasn't a Snork.

They arrived at the house much too quickly for Moominpappa's liking, and he went straight inside, electing to give The Joxter the letter at a later time. He paused outside the washroom, turning back to his friend. "I'll be right back out; feel free to make yourself at home. Not that I could stop you, you rascal." He gave The Joxter one last grin, then disappeared to clean up.

The Joxter looked around with a small smile, noting the little details of the house; there were extra chairs at the table, along with.. a stack of papers? He walked closer; upon further inspection he realized they were letters.

And all of them were addressed to _him_.

Well, they had his name on them, didn't they? It wasn't snooping around if it had his name on it.

Even though that wouldn't have stopped him anyway.

He picked up the first letter gingerly, as it was quite old, and read the date. Oh, that was.. that was the very last day he ever saw Moomin, before today, that is. He opened it, and his eyes steadily widened. He finished it, and sat for a moment in shock. He quickly set it down and picked up the next. And then the next after that, until he had finished all of them, with the most recent having been written only a few weeks ago.

The Joxter stared at the page in awe. Moomin's son had organized an entire festival just to get him to come here? More unbelievable still, Moomin _loved_ him? Moomin loved him, and had continued to all these years..?

The Joxter heard footsteps behind him, and he turned to see Moominpappa frozen in the doorway. "Oh, uh. Those are--"

The Joxter stood up from the table, and marched over to Moominpappa, who was looking increasingly frantic. "I'm sorry, I-" He was silenced as The Joxter grabbed him and pressed their noses together.

"Moomin. Stop worrying." The Joxter then pressed their lips together, and Moominpappa hummed softly. "I love you too. All those years ago, none of us knew it would be the last time we were together. After the storm.."

The Joxter took Moominpappa's face in his paws, gently running a thumb over his cheek. "You had never told me how to find Moominvalley, and I had ended up on what must have been the other side of the world. I traveled all over, but no one could tell me anything of a place called Moominvalley, and so I kept looking."

"I heard of the festival from the birds, and I came straight here once I knew where to go. I was surprised at how few people had shown up, with an invitation like that, I had assumed the whole world would be here. But come to find out, the invitation was just for me." He kissed Moominpappa again. "Because you were as desperate to find me as I had been to find you."

Moominpappa stared at him, his face red. "Oh, Joxter..."

"Now, let's go find Moominmai- Moominmamma before someone thinks you're having an affair with some scruffy traveler." The Joxter winked, and slipped a paw into Moominpappa's.

Moominpappa grinned impishly. "Now wait just a minute; I'm having a perfectly _legitimate_ dalliance with aforementioned scruffy traveler!" Moominpappa winked at his friend—Boyfriend? How _does_ one describe this sort of thing?—and The Joxter laughed.

The two left Moominhouse, fingers laced together. Their laughter echoed through the fairground as they walked, teasing each other and joking as though no time had passed at all, and soon they came upon Moominmamma. "Moominmaiden!"

She laughed, knowing who the voice belonged to even before she turned; no one in the valley had known her by that name, which only left.. "You know perfectly well it's Moominmamma, you old charmer." She turned to see The Joxter paw-in-paw with her husband, and she walked over and embraced them both warmly. "I see you already found my husband. Have you two talked much?" She gave Moominpappa a subtle questioning look, and he tilted his head side to side.

"Sort of; I spilled wine on myself, so we went to Moominhouse so I could clean up, and he saw the letters on the table. So I never gave him the one for tonight," Moominpappa lifted his hat and retrieved the final letter, holding it up.

The Joxter's smile turned devious, and Moominmamma just _knew_ something was coming. She didn't know what, but she was sure-

"And then I kissed him." The Joxter interrupted Moominpappa, smirking at the shocked expressions of the surrounding guests who had been listening in, though they at least had the decency to try to look like they weren't. Moominpappa rested his face in his free paw, but Moominmamma simply laughed. There it was.

"I'm glad you two are getting on as well as ever," She turned to the guests who were not-so-subtly listening in. "Now, either join the conversation properly, you lot, or stop eavesdropping!"

While Moominmamma was corralling the other attendees, The Joxter looked to Moominpappa with a smile. "Another letter?"

"This one was supposed to be everything I wanted to tell you today, that way I would be sure everything was just so. But I suppose I didn't end up needing it." Moominpappa went to put the letter away, but The Joxter caught his arm.

"May I read it anyway?" The Joxter asked.

Moominpappa held it out, and The Joxter took it, unfolding it with care.

_Dear Joxter,_

_I'm afraid I've been keeping something from you. I was going to give you a letter—much like this one—that day all those years ago, but I was too afraid, telling myself I had more time, there was no need to rush. I was obviously wrong, and then I never saw you again._

_I'm **not** making that mistake again._

_Joxter, I love you. I've loved you nearly since the day we met. I'm sorry for not having the courage to tell you in person, but I had to tell you somehow. Even if you don't feel the same, that's alright, but I couldn't let you slip through my fingers again without telling you how I feel. I know you love to travel; that's alright, I have no intention of taking that from you._

_I want you to know, my dear Joxter; no matter how far your travels may take you, no matter how long you're gone, you will always have a place with me, should it please you. If you don't wish to return, if your travels take you across the world and you never look back, I hope that you will take comfort in my love for you. I don't wish you to feel guilty for leaving, to worry about disappointing me; I wish for you to live your life to the fullest._

_That being said; I've decided that there is nothing to gain from being coy, so I will put this plainly. Very little would please me more than for you to call this valley home while you're away on your journeys. And **nothing** would please me more than for you to say that your love is waiting for you when you return._

_No matter what you decide, I will be by your side through thick and thin, just as I was before._

_Love,_

_Moominpappa_

The Joxter looked up from the letter, tears in his eyes. "Moomin.." He carefully folded the letter, putting it in his pocket. "I love you too." He wiped his eyes and smiled. "You know me so well. And you'll be pleased to hear that I will certainly be bragging about my adventurous beau while I'm away," He winked.

Moominpappa smiled, his heart truly light for the first time in years. "Now wait a minute, you get an adventurous, handsome beau and I just get a scruffy traveler?" His tone was teasing, and The Joxter laughed.

"Excuse me, I am a _clever_ and _talented_ scruffy traveler, thank you very much!" He slung an arm around Moominpappa's shoulders casually, but there was no mistaking the intimate nature of their slow walk around the festival grounds; they were taking in the sights and sounds, yes, but they mostly just lingered together, enjoying the warmth in their hearts at being together at last.

"Oh good, that's much better. I must have _something_ that sounds good to say when I tell people about my _clever_ and _talented_ traveling beau." Moominpappa mimicked The Joxter's speech cadence with a grin, then leaned over and kissed The Joxter's cheek softly. "Though I suppose our star-crossed tale is a good one on its own dramatic merit."

Moominpappa was happier than he had ever been; after all these years, somehow, he had laid his greatest regret to rest.

The Joxter— _His_ Joxter—was finally home.


End file.
